Singer Mieko Kawakami has been awarded the 138th Akutagawa Prize for her second novel, titled "Chichi to Ran."

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Literature also announced the winner of the Naoki Prize. It was given to Kazuki Sakuraba for "Watashi no Otoko."

A presentation ceremony will be held on February 22.

Novelist and screenwriter Jinzo Toriumi died of liver cancer on Thursday morning at a hospital in Shinjuku. He was 78. A funeral service will be held on the 20th.

Toriumi was involved in many television projects throughout his career, especially in animation. Until the late 1970s, he worked for Tatsunoko Production, planning and writing series such as "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" and "Yatterman."

Teen actress Saki Fukuda has taken on her first voice acting role for the third "Keroro Gunso" movie, which opens on March 1. She is providing the voice for the mysterious girl Nasca.

Director Masayuki Suo continues to pick up honors with his latest, "Soredemo Boku wa Yattenai." On Thursday, the winners of the 62nd Mainichi Film Awards were announced, giving Suo the title of Best Director and his film the Grand Prize.

An awards ceremony will be held on February 13. Here is the complete list of winners:

Grand Prize: Soredemo Boku wa Yattenai (Masayuki Suo)
Best Film: Tennen Kokekko (Nobuhiro Yamashita)
Best Director: Masayuki Suo
Best Actor: Taichi Kokubun (Shaberedomo Shaberedomo)
Best Actress: Kumiko Aso (Yunagi no Machi, Sakura no Kuni)
Best Supporting Actor: Yutaka Matsushige (Shaberedomo Shaberedomo)
Best Supporting Actress: Keiko Takahashi (Fumiko no Umi)
Sponichi Newcomer awards: Shota Matsuda (Waruboro), Riko Narumi (Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata, Shindo)
Kinuyo Tanaka Award: Tamao Nakamura
Best Screenplay: Aya Watanabe (Tennen Kokekko)
Best Cinematography: Hideyo Nakano (Mogari no Mori)
Best Art Direction: Takashi Sasaki (Sukiyaki Western Django)
Best Music: Rei Harakami (Tennen Kokekko)
Best Sound: Masato Komatsu (Shaberedomo Shaberedomo)
Technical Award: Michiko Kitamura (costume design in Sukiyaki Western Django)
Best Documentary: Back Drop Kurdistan
Best Foreign Film: Still Life (Jia Zhangke)
Best Animated Film: Summer Days with Coo
Noburo Ofuji Award: Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor
Tsutaya Movie Fan Award (Domestic Film): Koizora
Tsutaya Movie Fan Award (Foreign Film): Pirates of the Caribbean: World's End
Special awards: Kei Kumai, Minoru Inuzuka

Announcer Shio Chino is pregnant with her first child, it was learned on Thursday. She is expected to make a public announcement on Friday during her regular appearance on NTV's morning show "Rajikaru."

Chino is reportedly three months pregnant. She has been married to an employee of a securities firm since 2006.

The Bowling Proprietors' Association of Japan held its 15th Bowling Mass Media Awards on Wednesday. For the second year in a row, idol Ami Tokito was given the grand prize for her Tsunku TV appearances. Tsunku himself was also awarded a special prize this year.

Another special prize was given to Miyazaki governor Hideo Higashikokubaru for a segment during Fuji TV's "FNS 27 Hour Television" last year. Sayaka Aoki received an individual award for the same show.

A press release from Sakura-Con has announced that in addition to ketchup mania and The Slants, ALI PROJECT will attend the convention as a musical guest. Swedish group Smile.dk (of Dance Dance Revolution fame) is also attending.

In a separate announcement, the girls band SCANDAL was added to the convention lineup as well. SCANDAL will be touring the U.S. in March as part of SXSW's Japan Nite.

Sakura-Con is being held on March 28-30 in Seattle.